Wright Brothers Kitty Hawk 1903 Flyer I Plane Fabric + Wood + Orville Wright COA

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Wright Brothers Kitty Hawk 1903 Flyer I Plane Fabric + Wood + Orville Wright COA:
$25000.00

The Grand Antique Mall, located in Cincinnati, Ohio, presents Rare Authentic Wright Brothers Kitty Hawk 1903 Flyer I Plane Fabric and Wood Pieces from the world’s first successful, heavier-than-air flight, that took place on December 17, 1903, and an authentication letter, written and signed in the early 1940s by Orville Wright (1871-1948), the younger of the two brothers (Wilbur Wright 1867-1912), ABOUT WHICH, MORE LATER*. Artifacts and certification letter are encased in a poured plastic, un-openable shadow box that was later matted and framed. ARTIFACTS: 1) Fabric 3-1/2” x 2-1/4”; 2) Wood Piece 1-1/2” x 3/4”; 3) Authentication Letter, written and signed by Orville Wright that reads: I authenticate the above pieces as genuine parts of the original “Kitty Hawk” plane flown on December 17, 1903. They are from parts broken when the plane, while standing on the ground, was overturned by the wind after the fourth flight that day. *ARTIFACTS’ HISTORY: In 1940, Edward Andrew Deeds (1874 – 1960), Dayton industrialist and philanthropist, began work on a transportation themed museum, Carillon Park, with the goal of preserving Dayton’s rich transportation history. Deeds asked his old friend, Orville Wright — then in his seventies — to help him make the Wright Brothers’ aviation story the centerpiece of his museum. Deeds had originally partnered with Orville Wright in an airplane manufacturing venture that produced military aircraft during World War I. Deeds asked Wright if he would build a replica of the 1903 Wright Flyer I for the museum. Orville Wright, however, had a different plane in mind. Wright considered the 1905 Flyer III as the most important aeronautic contribution that he and his brother invented, and agreed to gift the Flyer III to Edward Deeds’ museum. But Orville Wright needed parts for the restoration. The 1905 Flyer III had been stored in the brothers’ Kitty Hawk hanger. Many parts had been taken, long ago, by local boys in search of souvenirs. To get parts returned to him, Wright devised an “exchange of parts” plan. He had meticulously saved parts from the 1903 Flyer 1. Would the souvenir hunters, now grown men, send their 1905 Flyer III parts to Wright in exchange for 1903 Flyer I artifacts, along with an authentication letter written and signed by him (view photo #15)? The incentive worked and restoration began in 1945. After the parts exchange, a few 1903 artifacts remained. Wright grouped pieces with a letter from him; the sets — perhaps a dozen — were encased in plastic and sold to the public. The number of sets sold was never recorded. Until his death on January 30, 1948 — a heart attack— Wright worked every day on rebuilding the Flyer III. On June 3, 1950, Carillon Park Historical Transportation Museum opened in Dayton, Ohio with the 1905 Flyer III as the centerpiece, completely restored with 80% of its original parts. Today, Carillon Historical Park is a 65-acre open air museum focusing on technology and innovation. The Wright Flyer III is the museum’s most famous exhibit. Its circular exhibition structure, designed by Orville Wright, gives visitors a 360-degree view of the Flyer III. FRAMED ARTIFACTS=22”H x 19”W x 2.5”D. WT=6.25 lbs. QUESTIONS? Please send a message and we’ll promptly reply.